IELTS Academic and IELTS general training are the two versions of the IELTS that have several differences and similarities among them. Most of the students get confuse with, what they are and what things differentiate them.  In this article, understanding the major questions that might be popping in the head of the students who are planning to prepare for IELTS, we have summed below the major similarities and differences between IELTS academic and IELTS general training.

Similarities between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training

The speaking and listening parts for the papers are same.  The amount of time allocated for both the parts is same in general training and academic versions.  The reading and writing parts are same in length in both the versions. They also have same word requirements. The assessment criteria and 9 band scale is used to grade both the modules.

Differences between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training

The difference between the IELTS academic and IELTS general training lies in terms of the choice of texts, which are topic, genre, length, number, etc.  The level of difficulty of the tests is 40. The reading module of the IELTS academic reading contains more items which are pitched at bands 5-8.  On the other hand, general training module has more items, which are pitched at bands 3-6.  There are several differences between IELTS academic and IELTS general training, which are- the content and nature of the writing tasks and the contextual parameters of the tasks.  The levels of differentiation described above, does not mean that the scores of the IELTS general training and IELTS academic are interchangeable.

Preparing for IELTS?

If you are preparing for IELTS, then you must always follow a right approach that can help you achieve the scores you are looking for.  You can take the help of someone who is experienced or join an organization that has good reputation and experience in the region.  The experts would help you understand the format of the paper and prepare you accordingly so that you can get the results you are looking for.